Investors helped Amazon celebrate its 20th birthday, pushing the online
retailer's stock up 17 percent in aftermarket trading Thursday after it
reported a surprise second-quarter profit.
If the jump holds in Friday
trading, Amazon's stock-market value could surpass that of its longtime
retail rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc., signaling a sea change in the US
retail landscape.
Amazon, which turned 20 on July 16, credited the
profit to continued strength of its cloud-computing business and strong
